This Is Spinal Tap - On The Road (PG)
"Alright, mum," Nigel spoke into the hotel reception phone, "I'll speak to you soon. Yeah, we'll be at a hotel in Denver on Friday night, we won't get in until late so I'll ring early Saturday morning your time. What, later? Alright then, I'll stay up so I can ring you nearer lunchtime. Okay, mum. Yeah, send my love to everyone. Okay, you too. Bye then." The guitarist replaced the receiver, thanking the receptionist before sitting beside Derek on a small leather sofa across the lobby.
"Your mum, again?" the bassist asked.
"Yeah. She asked me to give her a ring when I could to let her know I'm alright, I told her the other day I'd call when we got here." It was early afternoon and the band and crew had just arrived at their hotel for the night, waiting in the lobby for their booked rooms to be designated. "You remember how she worries?"
"Very well," Derek smirked, distinctly remembering the time Nigel had called him from his mother's house asking him for a demo tape they'd been working on. He'd walked round with the tape in heavy rain, and Nigel's mother had demanded that he come in, forcing him to sit by the fireplace in a knitted jumper to dry off while bringing him cup after best china cup of hot tea. "How is she?"
"Alright. It's sunny at home so she's been out doing some gardening. My brother's gone down to Torquay on holiday with the kids, they're off school for half-term."
"That time already?"
"Yeah, it's gone fast. Apparently his eldest's after some girl at school, he didn't want to go on holiday because she's staying at home all week. He's only eight." He smirked. "Speaking of which, my uncle's getting married again, I've lost count of which wedding this is. Dad's at a party at work tonight, there's another bloke there retiring – I'm sure the last retirement party there was only a couple of weeks ago. Mum says she's watching Coronation Street this evening while he's out. I bought them a video for Christmas, so she's recorded all the episodes this week to watch tonight."
Derek smiled at the image of domestic normality and wondered what his own family were up to, making a mental note to ring them sometime. "Sounds nice, doing normal stuff. I wonder what we'd all be up to now if we weren't in the band and here on tour?"
The guitarist inclined his head in thought. "I dunno. It's evening there now, so probably watching telly or something, and I'd still have to give mum a ring to let her know I'm alright," he laughed. "Something uneventful, I guess. No buses or stage props." He paused. "Do you miss it? Doing normal stuff?"
Squinting slightly as he considered the question, Derek shrugged. "I guess so, sometimes. I like playing gigs, but I don't much like the waiting in between. And there's no football coverage here, I have to rely on dad for Shrewsbury's scores. He's refusing to tell me how West Ham are doing."
"Understandable," Nigel shrugged cheekily.
"Watch it, you. I do miss it, but I think I'd prefer touring like we are and having the experience, you know?"
Nigel nodded in reply.
"What about you? Normal life or touring, if you had the choice?"
The guitarist was quiet for a few seconds, clearly thinking. "Given the choice," he began, "I think –"
"Hey, Nigel!"
He jumped at the interruption, looking for the source of the voice and seeing David walking towards him holding his bag.
"The rooms are sorted," the blond informed both musicians as he joined them. "Nigel, we're going to have to share a room again – I tried to get us separate rooms as we're always put together, but Ian said none of us have got single rooms this time. I did my best," he shrugged apologetically, but discreetly winked when Derek looked away towards the reception, noting Nigel's shy grin. "There's only the one key and I'm heading up to the room now, so you'll have to come and join me if you want to borrow it."
Nigel forced his smirk into a more neutral expression. "Alright, I'll be up there with my stuff in a minute." He watched David head out of the lobby toward the stairwell, before turning back to Derek who was now bending down to gather his own belongings.
"Given the choice?" the guitarist repeated.
The bassist looked up. "Yeah?"
"I'd much rather be here on tour." He gave a hurried nod and left the bassist in the lobby, smiling broadly as he swiftly traced David's steps up to their room.
"Your mum, again?" the bassist asked.
"Yeah. She asked me to give her a ring when I could to let her know I'm alright, I told her the other day I'd call when we got here." It was early afternoon and the band and crew had just arrived at their hotel for the night, waiting in the lobby for their booked rooms to be designated. "You remember how she worries?"
"Very well," Derek smirked, distinctly remembering the time Nigel had called him from his mother's house asking him for a demo tape they'd been working on. He'd walked round with the tape in heavy rain, and Nigel's mother had demanded that he come in, forcing him to sit by the fireplace in a knitted jumper to dry off while bringing him cup after best china cup of hot tea. "How is she?"
"Alright. It's sunny at home so she's been out doing some gardening. My brother's gone down to Torquay on holiday with the kids, they're off school for half-term."
"That time already?"
"Yeah, it's gone fast. Apparently his eldest's after some girl at school, he didn't want to go on holiday because she's staying at home all week. He's only eight." He smirked. "Speaking of which, my uncle's getting married again, I've lost count of which wedding this is. Dad's at a party at work tonight, there's another bloke there retiring – I'm sure the last retirement party there was only a couple of weeks ago. Mum says she's watching Coronation Street this evening while he's out. I bought them a video for Christmas, so she's recorded all the episodes this week to watch tonight."
Derek smiled at the image of domestic normality and wondered what his own family were up to, making a mental note to ring them sometime. "Sounds nice, doing normal stuff. I wonder what we'd all be up to now if we weren't in the band and here on tour?"
The guitarist inclined his head in thought. "I dunno. It's evening there now, so probably watching telly or something, and I'd still have to give mum a ring to let her know I'm alright," he laughed. "Something uneventful, I guess. No buses or stage props." He paused. "Do you miss it? Doing normal stuff?"
Squinting slightly as he considered the question, Derek shrugged. "I guess so, sometimes. I like playing gigs, but I don't much like the waiting in between. And there's no football coverage here, I have to rely on dad for Shrewsbury's scores. He's refusing to tell me how West Ham are doing."
"Understandable," Nigel shrugged cheekily.
"Watch it, you. I do miss it, but I think I'd prefer touring like we are and having the experience, you know?"
Nigel nodded in reply.
"What about you? Normal life or touring, if you had the choice?"
The guitarist was quiet for a few seconds, clearly thinking. "Given the choice," he began, "I think –"
"Hey, Nigel!"
He jumped at the interruption, looking for the source of the voice and seeing David walking towards him holding his bag.
"The rooms are sorted," the blond informed both musicians as he joined them. "Nigel, we're going to have to share a room again – I tried to get us separate rooms as we're always put together, but Ian said none of us have got single rooms this time. I did my best," he shrugged apologetically, but discreetly winked when Derek looked away towards the reception, noting Nigel's shy grin. "There's only the one key and I'm heading up to the room now, so you'll have to come and join me if you want to borrow it."
Nigel forced his smirk into a more neutral expression. "Alright, I'll be up there with my stuff in a minute." He watched David head out of the lobby toward the stairwell, before turning back to Derek who was now bending down to gather his own belongings.
"Given the choice?" the guitarist repeated.
The bassist looked up. "Yeah?"
"I'd much rather be here on tour." He gave a hurried nod and left the bassist in the lobby, smiling broadly as he swiftly traced David's steps up to their room.
Inspired by On Down The Road by Izzy Stradlin:
Cousin Stan's in Houston, writes about Caroline
Buddy's on the back porch drinkin' tea with lime
Me I'm on the outside, sometimes lookin' in
I get cold when I'm all alone and the heater can't stop the wind
Brother Kev's in Indy, brother Joe is too
Me I'm undecided on where I'm gonna go
Guess I should be happy about all that I've been through
I call Roy but the lines engaged, I try callin' Joe K
I guess I can't complain - so good, so far, now how about you?
On down the road again on down the road
And I'm not lookin' back you know
Cousin Stan's in Houston, writes about Caroline
Buddy's on the back porch drinkin' tea with lime
Me I'm on the outside, sometimes lookin' in
I get cold when I'm all alone and the heater can't stop the wind
Brother Kev's in Indy, brother Joe is too
Me I'm undecided on where I'm gonna go
Guess I should be happy about all that I've been through
I call Roy but the lines engaged, I try callin' Joe K
I guess I can't complain - so good, so far, now how about you?
On down the road again on down the road
And I'm not lookin' back you know